M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Hezekiah Reigns over Judah
18 Now it came about (A)in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that (B)Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2 He was (C)twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 (D)He did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. 4 (E)He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the [a]Asherah. He also broke in pieces (F)the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called [b]Nehushtan. 5 (G)He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; (H)so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he (I)clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
Hezekiah Victorious
7 (J)And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And (K)he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 (L)He [c]defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from (M)watchtower to fortified city.
9 Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, (N)Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 At the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was (O)the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured. 11 Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in (P)Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they (Q)did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.
Invasion of Judah
13 (R)Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “(S)I have done wrong. [d]Withdraw from me; whatever you [e]impose on me I will bear.” So the king of Assyria [f]required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 (T)Hezekiah gave him all the silver which was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 Then the king of Assyria sent (U)Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a large army to Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they went up, they came and stood by the (V)conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway of the [g]fuller’s field. 18 When they called to the king, (W)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and (X)Shebnah the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them.
19 Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “(Y)What is this confidence that you [h]have? 20 You say (but they are [i]only empty words), ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, (Z)that you have rebelled against me? 21 Now behold, you [j](AA)rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his [k]hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and (AB)whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’? 23 Now therefore, [l]come, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 24 How then can you [m]repulse one [n]official of the least of my master’s servants, and [o]rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Have I now come up [p]without the Lord’s approval against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”’”
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we [q]understand it; and do not speak with us in [r](AC)Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean, [s]saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29 Thus says the king, ‘(AD)Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from [t]my hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “[u]Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat (AE)each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away (AF)to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 (AG)Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 (AH)Where are the gods of Hamath and (AI)Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and [v](AJ)Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands [w]have delivered their land from my hand, (AK)that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’”
36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then (AL)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah (AM)with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Salutation
1 (A)Paul, (B)a prisoner of (C)Christ Jesus, and (D)Timothy [a]our brother,
To Philemon our beloved brother and (E)fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia [b](F)our sister, and to (G)Archippus our (H)fellow soldier, and to (I)the church in your house: 3 (J)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Love and Faith
4 (K)I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I (L)hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the [c]saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective [d]through the (M)knowledge of every good thing which is in you [e]for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much (N)joy and comfort in your love, because the [f]hearts of the [g]saints have been (O)refreshed through you, brother.
8 Therefore, (P)though I have [h]enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is (Q)proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather (R)appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, [i]the (S)aged, and now also (T)a prisoner of (U)Christ Jesus—
Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man
10 I (V)appeal to you for my (W)child [j](X)Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my [k]imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my [l](Y)imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would (Z)not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps (AA)he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 (AB)no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, (AC)a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both (AD)in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 If then you regard me a (AE)partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 (AF)I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it ((AG)not to [m]mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; (AH)refresh my heart in Christ.
21 (AI)Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
22 At the same time also prepare me a (AJ)lodging, for (AK)I hope that through (AL)your prayers (AM)I will be given to you.
23 (AN)Epaphras, my (AO)fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do (AP)Mark, (AQ)Aristarchus, (AR)Demas, (AS)Luke, my (AT)fellow workers.
25 (AU)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be (AV)with your spirit.[n]
God Yearns over His People
11 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And (A)out of Egypt I (B)called My son.
2 The more [a](C)they called them,
The more they went from [b]them;
They kept (D)sacrificing to the Baals
And (E)burning incense to idols.
3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
[c]I (F)took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I (G)healed them.
4 I (H)led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love,
And (I)I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and (J)fed them.
5 [d]They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be [e]their king
Because they (K)refused to return to Me.
6 The (L)sword will whirl against [f]their cities,
And will demolish [g]their gate bars
And (M)consume them because of their (N)counsels.
7 So My people are bent on (O)turning from Me.
Though [h]they call [i]them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.
8 (P)How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, O Israel?
How can I [j]make you like (Q)Admah?
How can I treat you like (R)Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
[k]All My compassions are kindled.
9 I will (S)not execute My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim (T)again.
For (U)I am God and not man, the (V)Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in [l]wrath.
10 They will (W)walk after the Lord,
He will (X)roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar
And His sons will come (Y)trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like birds from (Z)Egypt
And like (AA)doves from the land of (AB)Assyria;
And I will (AC)settle them in their houses, declares the Lord.
Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents.
132 Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf,
All (A)his affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to (B)the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “Surely I will not [a]enter (C)my house,
Nor [b]lie on my bed;
4 I will not (D)give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a (E)place for the Lord,
[c]A dwelling place for (F)the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in (G)Ephrathah,
We found it in the (H)field of [d]Jaar.
7 Let us go into His [e](I)dwelling place;
Let us (J)worship at His (K)footstool.
8 (L)Arise, O Lord, to Your (M)resting place,
You and the ark of Your (N)strength.
9 Let Your priests be (O)clothed with righteousness,
And let Your (P)godly ones sing for joy.
10 For the sake of David Your servant,
Do not turn away the face of Your (Q)anointed.
11 The Lord has (R)sworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“(S)Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
12 “If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also shall (T)sit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has (U)chosen Zion;
He has (V)desired it for His habitation.
14 “This is My (W)resting place forever;
Here I will (X)dwell, for I have desired it.
15 “I will abundantly (Y)bless her provision;
I will (Z)satisfy her needy with bread.
16 “Her (AA)priests also I will clothe with salvation,
And her (AB)godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
17 “There I will cause the (AC)horn of David to spring forth;
I have prepared a (AD)lamp for Mine anointed.
18 “His enemies I will (AE)clothe with shame,
But upon himself his (AF)crown shall shine.”
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (AG)brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious (AH)oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the (AI)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (AJ)dew of (AK)Hermon
Coming down upon the (AL)mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord (AM)commanded the blessing—(AN)life forever.
Greetings of Night Watchers.
A Song of Ascents.
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